Norliza Pavlakos is an international keynote speaker, author and founder. Homeless at 16, she built an extraordinary career from the ground up, becoming Australia’s first Miss India International, turning around a struggling café, and co-founding Finest Alterations, which she grew into a five location tailoring brand.
Today, she has delivered keynotes for Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, Qatar Airways and PwC across five continents. A 2021 Toastmasters International Golden Gavel honouree, Norliza was ranked #9 among Real Leaders’ Top 40 Women Keynote Speakers in the World in 2020. She is also the founder of The Support Pages, a mental health directory.
Her message is simple: you do not need to start with certainty, resources or advantages. You need the conviction to begin.
Norliza Pavlakos is an international keynote speaker, author and founder. Homeless at 16, she built an extraordinary career from the ground up, becoming Australia’s first Miss India International, turning around a struggling café, and co-founding Finest Alterations, which she grew into a five location tailoring brand.
In 2015, Norliza walked away from the security of a successful tailoring business to pursue speaking, despite having no speaking experience and no guarantee anyone would book her.
They did.
Today, she has delivered keynotes for Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, Qatar Airways and PwC across five continents. A 2021 Toastmasters International Golden Gavel honouree, Norliza was ranked #9 among Real Leaders’ Top 40 Women Keynote Speakers in the World in 2020.
Her keynotes transform the lessons of her unlikely journey into practical frameworks for leaders and teams, including The Power of Nothing, The Conviction Effect and The One-Day Reset. Each keynote is supported by a free practical playbook.
Norliza is the author of Conviction (2025) and The Indefatigable Entrepreneur. She is also the founder of The Support Pages, a mental health directory, and the Liza Pavlakos Foundation, a registered charity.
Her message is simple: you do not need to start with certainty, resources or advantages. You need the conviction to begin.
Turning underestimation into your most powerful advantage
Reframe / Redirect / Anchor
Best for: Women’s leadership, belonging and resilience programs, employee resource groups, entrepreneurship audiences
Decisive leadership in uncertainty
Decide / Move / Close the Day
Best for: Executive teams, sales leaders, high-growth companies and leadership off-sites
Rapid resilience and performance reset under pressure
Notice / Steady / Reset
Best for: High-pressure teams, HR and wellbeing programs
Norliza’s story tests the human spirit. It includes traumatic events and moves toward hope and positivity. Before her introduction, we ask the MC to read this to the audience: support is available to anyone affected, through the organiser’s Employee Assistance Program, or through The Support Pages (thesupportpages.com.au), a mental health directory.
Audiences from 12 senior leaders to 4,000 delegates, in person and virtual.
A headset or a handheld microphone. Please have both available.
Departs from Melbourne. Business class for international flights.
Norliza works with a film and camera crew who set up in the room, so online and on-site audiences receive the same quality. We request a sound and visual quality check two hours before the event.
Norliza’s office confirms availability within 48 business hours.
Norliza Pavlakos is an international keynote speaker, author and founder. Homeless at 16, she built an extraordinary career from the ground up, becoming Australia’s first Miss India International, turning around a struggling café, and co-founding Finest Alterations, which she grew into a five location tailoring brand.
Today, she has delivered keynotes for Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, Qatar Airways and PwC across five continents. A 2021 Toastmasters International Golden Gavel honouree, Norliza was ranked #9 among Real Leaders’ Top 40 Women Keynote Speakers in the World in 2020. She is also the founder of The Support Pages, a mental health directory.
Her message is simple: you do not need to start with certainty, resources or advantages. You need the conviction to begin.
Norliza Pavlakos is an international keynote speaker, author and founder. Homeless at 16, she built an extraordinary career from the ground up, becoming Australia’s first Miss India International, turning around a struggling café, and co-founding Finest Alterations, which she grew into a five location tailoring brand.
In 2015, Norliza walked away from the security of a successful tailoring business to pursue speaking, despite having no speaking experience and no guarantee anyone would book her.
They did.
Today, she has delivered keynotes for Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, Qatar Airways and PwC across five continents. A 2021 Toastmasters International Golden Gavel honouree, Norliza was ranked #9 among Real Leaders’ Top 40 Women Keynote Speakers in the World in 2020.
Her keynotes transform the lessons of her unlikely journey into practical frameworks for leaders and teams, including The Power of Nothing, The Conviction Effect and The One-Day Reset. Each keynote is supported by a free practical playbook.
Norliza is the author of Conviction (2025) and The Indefatigable Entrepreneur. She is also the founder of The Support Pages, a mental health directory, and the Liza Pavlakos Foundation, a registered charity.
Her message is simple: you do not need to start with certainty, resources or advantages. You need the conviction to begin.
Turning underestimation into your most powerful advantage
Reframe / Redirect / Anchor
Best for: Women’s leadership, belonging and resilience programs, employee resource groups, entrepreneurship audiences
Decisive leadership in uncertainty
Decide / Move / Close the Day
Best for: Executive teams, sales leaders, high-growth companies and leadership off-sites
Rapid resilience and performance reset under pressure
Notice / Steady / Reset
Best for: High-pressure teams, HR and wellbeing programs
Norliza’s story tests the human spirit. It includes traumatic events and moves toward hope and positivity. Before her introduction, we ask the MC to read this to the audience: support is available to anyone affected, through the organiser’s Employee Assistance Program, or through The Support Pages (thesupportpages.com.au), a mental health directory.
Trusted by teams at Microsoft, Qatar Airways, PwC, Zurich, Emirates, Marriott, Dell, Coca-Cola and Lenovo.
Audiences from 12 senior leaders to 4,000 delegates, in person and virtual.
A headset or a handheld microphone. Please have both available.
Departs from Melbourne. Business class for international flights.
Norliza works with a film and camera crew who set up in the room, so online and on-site audiences receive the same quality. We request a sound and visual quality check two hours before the event.
Norliza’s office confirms availability within 48 business hours.
events@norliza.com
Send an enquiry